Congratulations to Waleed Aly for his insightful article on the role and nature of US patriotism (“Patriot Acts”, June 2009). His observations about Australia resonated strongly with me, for even as a fifth generation Australian, I often feel I like don’t belong here because of the narrowness of the definition of ‘Australianness’.
The US has a unique flag; ours is a flag within a flag, symbolising our British past, and it has become a symbol of the non-inclusivity of our nation.
The US has an American head of state; we have a British head of state. An American president is not really comparable with an Australian prime minister for this very reason: one is a head of state and the other is simply a head of government – very different symbolism.
Our national day is a celebration of colonial foundation, and we wonder why it doesn’t resonate with many citizens!
There is so much that is good about Australia, and much of it derived from our British rule of law and Westminster system of government. But until we have a new flag, an inclusive republican constitution and a new, inclusive Australia Day, we will not shake off the neo-colonial hangover that is hampering so many Australians’ sense of belonging.
